New Delhi (NVI): The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued guidelines for businesses and employers, outlining simple ways to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus and means that can help prevent the spread of infections at the workplace.
WHO has stated that there is a high risk of the COVID-19 of spreading. Despite this, it has not declared it a pandemic yet but is taking action to contain the disease.
These low-cost measures can help prevent the spread of infections in a workplace, such as colds, flu and stomach bugs, and protect the customers, contractors and employees.
Employers should start following these steps, even if COVID-19 has not arrived in the communities where they operate.They can already reduce working days lost due to illness and stop or slow the spread of the virus if it arrives at one of the workplaces.
Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are:
– Make sure the workplaces are clean and hygienic like surfaces and objects need to be wiped with disinfectant regularly. This is because contamination on surfaces touched by employees and customers is one of the main ways that the coronavirus spreads
– Promote regular and thorough hand-washing by employees, contractors and customers which can be enhanced by putting sanitising hand rub dispensers in prominent places and making sure the dispensers are filled regularly.
– Promote good respiratory hygiene in the workplace. This could be done by providing face masks for those who develop a runny nose or cough at work, along with closed bins for its hygienic disposal. Paper tissues should also be readily available.
– Advise employees and contractors to consult national travel advice before going on business trips
– It should be explained, as a precaution, that if COVID-19 starts spreading among anyone with even a mild cough or low-grade fever needs to stay at home.
